


three journies

by Twice_before_Friday



Series: Altered & Extended - season 1 [20]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Betrayal, Blood, Episode: s01e20 Like Father ..., Framed for murder, Gen, Lies, Stand Alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28666440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twice_before_Friday/pseuds/Twice_before_Friday
Summary: And on top of all of that, above and beyond all the murder and mayhem that surrounds him, is the burden of knowing his team doesn't trust him. Dani and JT's hesitance to believe that he's innocent hurts more than he ever would have expected. Until a handful of hours ago, he thought he'd been making inroads, becoming an accepted part of the team.Now he's not so sure.
Series: Altered & Extended - season 1 [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1557952
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	three journies

**Author's Note:**

> All stories in this series are stand alone. You don't need to have read the others to read this one.
> 
> The format for this last story is a little different than the others, showing snippets of three different scenes from the final episode. Hopefully it reads okay!
> 
> And a big thank you to everyone that stuck with me through this series! It was a ton of fun and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it ❤

**JOURNEY FROM STERLING'S OFFICE TO THE MANOR**

It doesn't matter how much pressure Malcolm puts on the gunshot wound, the blood pulses and flows and seeps through his fingers until, suddenly, it doesn't. Despite his best efforts, Stirling dies quickly, his heart giving out under the strain of pumping blood through veins that have been ripped open, hemorrhaging onto the carpet below, grey nylon fibres saturated with the crimson flow.

Two minutes, three at most, and Sterling is breathing his last.

And once again, Malcolm is unable to save the life in front of him.

He bows his head, a show of respect for the senseless loss of life as much as a silent apology for being unable to save him. Everett Stirling may not have been Malcolm's favourite person, but he sure as hell didn't deserve to go out like this.

Unfortunately, there's no time to grieve, to show the man the compassion he deserves.

He has to move. Now.

He'd be willing to bet the assassin called in the kill as soon as he was clear of the building, and he wouldn't put it pass Endicott to try and frame Malcolm for _this_ murder, too. What's more, as soon as Major Crimes is informed of the shooting, he knows they'll be banging on the Milton manor door, looking to confirm his alibi. If he's not there, if they discover Leonard wearing the ankle bracelet in his place, he'll be back in holding before a feeble attempt of an explanation has even formed on his tongue.

And he can't stop Endicott if he's locked up.

So he launches to his feet and runs to the back exit, bursting through the door and only slowing down as he approaches the main street. Though his instincts are telling him to run, he knows his best chance of getting home is to avoid drawing attention to himself; he needs to keep his head down and keep the pace of the rest of the pedestrians on the street.

He's only a few steps out, though, before he remembers the blood on his hands and on the front of his sweater from where Stirling grasped his shirt and pulled him down, using his dying breath to tell Malcolm that Martin has the files to end this all.

"Shit," Malcolm whispers to himself and turns into the nearest doorway, his back to the street.

A quick glance down confirms that the sweater is a write off, bloody handprints soiling the fine fabric, far beyond what his dry cleaner is capable of repairing. So he wipes the worst of the blood from his hands onto the inside of the sweater, hoping to conceal as much of the evidence as possible, and even takes a few extra seconds to crease the sweater and drag it under his nails, removing as much blood as he can while it's still wet and tacky against his skin. One deep breath, and then another, and then he zips up his jacket and shoves his hands in his pockets, hiding the blood stains that he already knows will require so much more than just a quick scrub to remove.

He keeps his head bowed and moves through the streets like a ghost, praying that he draws about as much attention as one as he makes his way to the nearest subway station. If a concerned citizen happens to call the cops about a man covered with blood running away from a fresh crime scene, he'll never make it back home.

So he focuses his energy on slowing his steps, slowing his heart. He knows that once he gets down into the subway, getting the rest of the way home unnoticed will be infinitely easier.

And he's not wrong. He garners a few cautious looks, people giving him a wide berth as he walks through the subway station entrance, but once he eases off through a side corridor and makes his way to the hidden tunnels that will lead him home, there's not a soul to be seen.

It's only once he's safely ensconced in the tunnels that he allows himself a moment to breathe. To process. So much has happened in the last couple days, and he honestly hasn't even begun to work through any of it. He's been burying his grief over Eve's death by throwing himself into the case, but with being framed for Eddie's murder and now witnessing the assassination of Everett Stirling, it's all becoming something that he can't possibly ignore any longer.

He leans his back against the nearest piller, letting his head fall softly against the concrete, allowing his eyelids to flutter closed, just for a moment.

For one minute — a scant sixty seconds that he counts down by the timer of his phone — he allows himself to _feel_ the weight of what his world has become.

And it's so very heavy.

Eve's death is a burden that he's not quite sure how to carry. Eddie may have killed her, but Malcolm is, at least in part, responsible for lining her up in the cross-hairs. He knows the guilt of that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

And some days, the guilt he already carries is enough to crush him.

As for Eddie…

Well, he can't say he mourns the loss; the man snuffed out Eve's life for a quick buck and tried to murder his father, as well. The world is a better place without him in it. Being framed for his murder, though, is less than ideal, especially now, when he has so much that he needs to do to finally topple Endicott's empire.

And on top of all of that, above and beyond all the murder and mayhem that surrounds him, is the burden of knowing his team doesn't trust him. Dani and JT's hesitance to believe that he's innocent hurts more than he ever would have expected. Until a handful of hours ago, he thought he'd been making inroads, becoming an accepted part of the team.

Now he's not so sure.

The fact that witnessing Stirling's murder — being _thisclose_ to the man as he was gunned down and then watching the light fade from his eyes — was not even the worst part of his week is a testament to the dumpster fire his life has become.

But right now, it doesn't even matter.

Because his sixty seconds are up and it's time to move.

There's too much to do and he doesn't have the time (or frankly, the emotional capability) to unpack any of his most recent traumas.

Right now, he needs to find a way to stop Nicholas Endicott for once and for all. So he makes his way through the tunnels and into the basement of his family home, endeavouring to ignore the fact that he's literally following in his father's footsteps as he does.

He needs to figure out his next move, and he needs to figure it out fast.

He's running out of time.

**JOURNEY FROM THE MANOR TO THE PRECINCT**

As Dani and JT slap the cuffs on him, _again_ , Malcolm is flooded with second thoughts as to whether or not confessing that he removed his ankle monitor and went to visit Everett Stirling — was _with_ Stirling when he was murdered — was truly the wisest course of action.

It's just that everything was happening so fast and they were going to leave him behind and he _knows_ that he can provide valuable insights into the case. Forcing them to bring him along was the only play he had.

The way Dani is looking at him, though, her gaze piercing right through him as if she sees into the depths of his soul (and finds him sorely lacking), has him rethinking his (admittedly impulsive) plan.

Betrayal.

He doesn't need to be a profiler to recognize that look.

He lied to her face. She asked him point blank if he _promised_ he didn't leave the manor, and he said yes. It wasn't a misdirection or simple omission of the truth, it was a brazen lie that he spoke with conviction while looking her in the eye.

Even as he said it, he understood that he was setting them back to square one. Learning to trust one another had been a long and arduous process for them both, a result of their abysmal track records with trusting the wrong people in their pasts, and, perhaps even more so, their difficulties in trusting themselves. Often, it was a 'two steps forward, one step back' type situation, but they'd gotten there. And while that trust was fractured by her refusal to believe he didn't kill Eddie, it was shattered by that false promise.

And he isn't sure they'll ever be able to repair it.

It hurts more than he'd care to admit.

But right now, there's more important things to focus on.

Endicott is coming after his family. If losing the trust of his team is what it takes to bring the man down, it's a price he's willing to pay.

"Malcolm, darling." Jessica interrupts his chaotic thoughts, her typically blinding smile all clenched teeth and weariness as she makes her way to his side. She eyes the handcuffs around his wrists with distaste but her voice remains painfully pleasant. Forced. "I'll contact the lawyers. Again. I realize it seems daunting, but perhaps this time you can try keeping your mouth shut, dear."

"Jess," Gil says placatingly, but soon bows his head in defeat at the withering look she shoots him.

"I'll be fine, mother," Malcolm offers her a small smile, easily reading the worry that's creased between her brows and pulling tight around her eyes. "I promise."

No one comments on the small huff that slips from Dani's lips at the words.

"Right, so…" JT breaks the awkward silence that settles on the room, looking pointedly to Gil. "We should go."

It's JT that leads him out of the house, a warm hand wrapped gently around his bicep, guiding him through the foyer and out to the SUV. His usual solemnity is in place every step of the way, though Malcolm senses JT's not entirely comfortable with the situation from the taut pull of his muscles and the way his gaze occasionally flickers to Gil, who seems to be wavering between weary and exasperated, and Malcolm feels yet another twinge of regret for putting the team in this position.

Once they're outside, Dani immediately slides into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind her and resolutely facing forward, her stony expression doing nothing to hide how hurt and angry she is. JT spares Malcolm a look that manages to say, "Dude, you fucked up," and, "You better make this right," all at the same time before he guides him silently into the back seat and then joins him from the other side. Gil, meanwhile, gets in the driver's seat and starts the engine, but makes no move to pull away from the curb.

"What the hell, kid?" Gil mutters under his breath.

JT turns in his seat, fixing Malcolm with an upraised eyebrow and a look that says he'd very much like to know the answer to that question, too.

"Gil, I'm sorry, but it was crucial that I speak with Stirling," Malcolm starts but Gil cuts him off with a raised hand before he has a chance to continue.

"You know what? Never mind," Gil breaks in, shoulder-checking before he eases out into the light traffic. "Anything you say right now can be used against you and we'd be mandated to put it in our reports. You should probably listen to your mother, for a change."

JT tilts his head, an acknowledgement of the truth of that statement, but Malcolm can still see the curiosity in his eyes. JT wants to know what Malcolm found out from Sterling.

Which means, just maybe, he actually believes that there was something to find out, that Malcolm is telling the truth.

Along with the curiosity, though, Malcolm observes a good deal of irritation in the man's expression, and he doesn't want to push his luck. Not just yet.

So he sits back and runs the case details over and over in his head. Despite his mother's advice to the contrary, he has no intentions of keeping quiet about what he discovered. He does, however, realize that it might be for the best to allow everyone a moment or two to quietly cool down during the drive to the precinct.

He's going to need them on his side to have any hope of finishing what he started.

**JOURNEY TO RIKERS**

_Don't worry. I know someone who's good at getting into all the wrong places._

Gil gives him a tight-lipped look but gestures to the door, a clear indication that Malcolm is free to go now that the cuffs have been removed.

"Thank you, Gil," Malcolm says quietly.

There's an overwhelming gratitude coursing through his veins, and it's only partly due to the fact that Gil is letting him go, letting him pursue his own leads. Mostly, it's because Gil actually believes him.

And it looks like maybe JT and Dani are starting to, as well.

He feels his first rays of hope as he pulls out his phone and thumbs open Ainsley's contact information, wending his way through the bullpen as he quietly explains the situation to her and asks if she can use her media credentials to get him into Rikers for a visit with Martin.

She agrees — too easily, perhaps — and tells him she'll pick him up from the precinct right away. The line disconnects before he has a chance to object.

It doesn't take long at all before a town car pulls up in front of the station and Adolpho is holding open the back door for him, allowing him to slip in next to Ainsley, who appears far, far too excited about their situation.

"I've already made a few calls. The warden is willing to meet with me to discuss a potential story about the prison, and, in return, will allow a brief visit with dad." The words are pouring from her lips before Adolpho has even closed the door behind him.

"Right," Malcolm says, surprised by just how quickly she was able to make the arrangements. Her drive and connections really shouldn't come as a shock at this point, but somehow they always do. "Ains, that's amazing. Thank you."

She preens slightly at the compliment but immediately presses on. "So what's the plan here, bro? Do you really think dad can help? That he _will_?"

It's the million dollar question.

Martin is the only one with evidence against Nicholas Endicott. If he's unwilling to share whatever's on that file, then there's a very real possibility that Malcolm will go down for Eddie's murder, and Endicott will get away with everything.

Malcolm has to hope that it's reason enough for his father to part with the only bargaining chip that he has.

"I hope so," Malcolm says honestly. "This may be our last shot to tie Endicott to his criminal enterprise and clear my name. If Martin isn't willing to help…"

"Then you go to jail and Endicott wins," Ainsley finishes for him, grimacing at the thought. "He has to help, though, right? I mean, it's no secret that you're his favourite, his _prodigal son_ ," she says, and Malcolm can't help but notice a hint of anger, of _jealousy_ , in her voice, "He's not just going to let you take the fall for this."

There was a time that Malcolm would have believed that.

But then John Watkins strolled into his life and told him that Martin had taken him to that godforsaken cabin all those years ago to kill him.

So now...now he's not so sure.

Now he understands that Martin Whitly will offer the evidence he has on Nicholas Endicott only if it serves him in some way. Which means he'll need to convince Martin that taking down Endicott now is the best move he can make for them all, including Martin himself.

"I hope you're right."

And that's really all he can do at this point. Hope.

Hope that he means enough to his father to part with the information he's been sitting on for over two decades.

The fact that his life is, once again, in the hands of The Surgeon does not sit well with him, but at this point he has no other choice. His father is his only hope to find justice for Eve, to remain a free man, to keep his family safe.

Which reminds him.

"You don't think mom would actually meet with Endicott and record their conversation to try and coax a confession from him, do you?" Malcolm asks, afraid he already knows the answer.

He should have ensured Jessica understood how truly terrible an idea that was when she suggested it, but everything started to happen so quickly after her off-handed comment. He was so focused on getting his ankle monitor back on before JT kicked down the door, that her remark about recording a conversation on her phone completely slipped his mind.

It looks as though Ainsley forgot about it as well, judging by the way her face falls at his question. It's all the confirmation he needs.

"Of course she would," he sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"Malcolm, we have to stop her. I don't think she understands just how deep this all goes," Ainsley says, shifting in her seat to more fully face him. "I haven't discovered any concrete proof, obviously, but I've been digging into Endicott and there are far too many convenient deaths connected to his companies and shell corporations to be coincidental."

"Ains, you have to stop looking into him." This time it's Malcolm's turn to shift in his seat, facing Ainsley, an urgency in his movement and tone that even she can't miss, though her face immediately hardens at the suggestion of stepping away from a leading-edge story. "Eve started digging into him and he had her killed. I can't lose you, too."

She softens at that, reaches across the space between them to take hold of his hand. "I'll be fine, Malcolm. Eve didn't know what she was getting into. I do. I'm not going to stop doing my job, but I'll take precautions." She halts his protest with a quick squeeze of his hand. "Let's worry about mom for now, okay?"

Malcolm huffs and looks out the window as they cross the bridge to Rikers, thinking that Claremont seems like a resort spa in comparison to the maximum-security prison they're approaching.

"I'll talk to Gil as soon as we're done here," Malcolm says. With any luck, his father will hand over the file and Endicott will no longer be a threat to anyone, his mother included. Even still, he'll feel better knowing Gil is keeping tabs on her. "He'll keep an eye on her."

"I'm sure he will," Ainsley smirks and Malcolm can't help but grin back.

He never did ask Gil or Jessica why things never progressed between them when he was a kid (honestly, he was always a little afraid that _he_ might have been what kept them apart), but he's certainly noticed the renewed intimacy between them lately.

He hopes they can make it work this time.

But as Adolpho stops the car, all thoughts of happily-ever-afters are abruptly shoved from his mind. His last hope lay beyond those walls, in the hands of a serial killer.

"You ready for this?" Ainsley asks quietly.

"You still think you can get me in?" Malcolm returns.

"Us," Ainsley is quick to correct. "I will get _us_ in."

"Ains…" Malcolm starts to object just as Adolpho opens her door.

She shoots him her trademark glare, a look that screams _just try and stop me_ , and swings her legs out of the car, rising in one smooth motion, all confidence and determination. He can't help but be proud of her, even if her persistence sometimes drives him insane and threatens to put him in an early grave.

She's the best of them. The one that came out of The Surgeon's grasp relatively unscathed.

As he gets out of the car and watches her march towards the entrance like a soldier to battle, he feels it now more than ever. It's up to him to keep her safe. And he'll do whatever it takes to make that happen.

**Author's Note:**

> It's the last Altered & Extended scene for season one! Hooray!!
> 
> Now we wait for season two...


End file.
